Knockdown cabinet



April 1, 1941. H. DERMAN KNOCKDOWN CABINET Filed. Jan. 3, 1939 INVENTORl /A RR) DER/MAN 9,4141" 9 ATTO R N EY V Patented Apr. 1 1941 UNITED"STATES PATENT oFFic v Harry Derman, Laurelton, Long Island, N. Y.Application-January 3, 1939, Serial No. 248,932

2 Claims.

This invention relates to closets or cabinets of the type and kindcomposed primarily of cardboard or corrugated board, comprising fourprimary parts, that is to say, a top wall part, a combination bottom andpartial front wall part, aback and side wall part including front doorframe portions and a door-or closure part, and the object of theinvention is to provide a cabinet of the character described with meansassociated with the flanges or front wall frame portions of the sidewalls of the cabinet forming longitudinal grooves at the sides of thecabinet for receiving the side edges of a sliding door or closure, andprimarily a cabinet 'of this class wherein the grooves terminate shortof the lower end of the cabinet and open into the interior thereof belowthe lower front wall of the cabinet to provide free movement of thelower end portion of the door or closure into the bottom portion of thecabinet, and especially a closure of the flexible or single-facecorrugated type; a further object being to provide the lower free end ofthe flexible corrugated closure with a short dowel or rod to which acorrugated sheet is secured to provide free movement of the sheet acrossthe bottom of the cabinet in the movement of the door to an openposition; a further objectbeing to provide the upper end of the doorwith a reinforcing or stop strip cooperating with a finishing strip atthe front edge of the top wall to limit the upward movement of the door,and in the provision of means for retaining the door in raised or closedposition; a further object be- 1 ing to provide a cabinet of thecharacter described which for the most part is constructed of corrugatedor fibre board to provide a cabinet of very economical construction, andwith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a deviceof the class and for the purpose specified which is simple inconstruction, efiicient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the several partsof my invention are designated by suitable reference characters in eachof the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the front'portion of a cabinet madeaccording to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the cabinet with part of theconstruction broken away and showing the door in a partially openposition.

v Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the cabinet substantially onthe line 33 of Fig. 2, and

'of' the side wall parts terminating in inturned flanges l4 formingfront wall or rail parts between which is a door opening I5 controlledby the door or closure l3.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to- 3 inclusive, substantialL-shaped wood strips I6 are secured to the inner surfaces of the flangesl4 so as to form in conjunction with the flanges l4, grooves I! forreceiving the side edges of the door or closure I3. The strips l5 extendfrom the upper edge'of the cabinet to a point as at Ilia,

-note Fig. 2, so that the grooves ll open freely into the lower endportion of the cabinet below the upper edge of the front wall part I asclearly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing, so that the lower end [3a of thedoor is free to move into the bottom of the cabinet and extend acrossthe bottom thereof in the downward movement of the door l3 to open thedoor opening IS. The end l3a of the door is curvedaround a dowel pin orrod I8 and secured thereto so as to provide a rounded bearing at saidend of the door to provide free movement of the door across the bottoml2 of the cabinet. It will also appear from a consideration of Fig. 3 ofthe drawing that the corners of the lower end of the door are cut awayas seen at I3b so as to provide free threading of the door into thegrooves II in the assemblage of the cabinet, and to prevent the dowel orrod Hi from contacting the rails l6.

Arranged upon the upper edge of the side walls of the part I0 is agarment hanger frame comprising a transverse rod I9 coupled with Ushaped plates 20 through links 2|. A perforated tube 22 also transversesthe cabinet and forms a container for a suitable insecticide crystalacting as a moth repellant. The specific structure of this couplingforms no direct part of this invention and is common in other cabinetsof this type, therefore, no further specific showing is necessary.

The top wall part I l includes integral downwardly extending peripheralflanges Ila which are arranged outwardly of the back and side wall andfront wall parts. The front flange includes a reinforcing wood strip IIbwhich forms a stop against which a corresponding reinforcing andfinishing strip 23 secured to the door I3 is adapted to strike in theupward movement of the door I3. A suitable coupling device 24 isprovided between the strip IIb and strip 23 to retain the door in raisedposition, so that when the coupling 24 is released, the door I3 may befreely moved downwardly in the operation of opening the cabinet. It willalso appear that the upper part I2a really constitutes an elongatedflange' which forms a front wall part on the cabinet. This part includesside flanges I2c which overlie the side walls of the cabinet and all ofthe flanges IIa, I21) and I2c are secured to the wall parts I by staplesor other fastening devices as at 24.

Similar fastening devices 24a are also passed through the strip IIb andthrough the front wall part In or a reinforcing strip 25 secured to theupper edge thereof as will appear in Fig. 1 of the drawing.- The strip25 also limits the downward movement of the door I3 and will be engagedby the strip 23 as will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 2 ofthe drawing. It will be understood that in the knockdown'condition ofthe cabinet, the flanges or front wall forming parts I4 normally extendin the plane of. the side walls, and the part I2a is disposed upon thebottom wall part I2. The top and bottom wall parts can be arranged uponthe collapsed back and side wall parts with the flexible door part I3arranged thereupon, thus forming a relatively thin elongated package.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing, a slight modification of the constructionshown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive is illustrated, which consists simply inarrangin groove-forming strips 26 similar to the strips I6 upon theouter surfaces of the flanges I4, rather than upon the inner surfacesthereof.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing, another adaptation of the invention isdisclosed wherein strips 21 of what might be termed H-cross sectionalform are provided at the. free edges of the flanges I4, one side of thestrip 21 having a groove 21a receiving the free edge of the flange I4,whereas the other side of the strip has a groove 21b in which the dooris slidably mounted.

A still further construction is illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing inwhich figure a strip of corrugated or fibre board 28 is secured to theinner surface of the flange I4 so as to leave the free edge 28a of thestrip free to flex with respect to the flange I4 to form a groove orchannel 29 for the reception of the side edge of the sliding door. Withthis latter form of construction, it will be understood that the freeedge 28a is flexed inwardly under tension, thus providing a more or lessfrictional engagement with the catch device 24, the same willautomatically move into the open position, aside from any friction whichmay prevail to support the same against such movement. In any event, aslight I downward pressure upon the door will move the same into openposition during which operation, the lower end of the door willslideacross the bottom of the cabinet. This latter action will, to somedegree, check any sudden dropping of the door. In other words, no meansis provided for definitely guiding the door across the bottom of thecabinet, except the dowel pin I8 and the inward curling of the dooraround the pin which will prevent the door from gathering or buckling inthe lower front corner portion of the cabinet, in other words, thenormal tendency of the door to curl inwardly in the manner which isdiagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing.

A cabinet of the character described will be strong and durable inconstruction and will be very economical in construction, bearing inmind that the only reinforcements which-are essential are the stripsIII), 23, 25- or the equivalent thereof, or in the use of the strips I6,26, 21 and 28. In assembling the cabinet, it will be understood that thepart III is first arranged upon and coupled with the bottom part I2including the front wall extension I2a thereof, after which the door I3is slid into position through the upper open end of the cabinet, afterwhich the top wall II is placed in position. It will also appear that acabinet of this particular construction will be extremely light byreason of the construction employed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A knockdown paper board cabinet comprising four unitary detachablycoupled parts, one part forming foldable back and side wall parts andfront vertical rail portions, another part forming the top of thecabinet and having a front depending transverse rail, another partforming the botom of the cabinet, said part including a foldableupwardly extending front wall part terminating at its upper edge in atransverse reinforcing rail, the other of said parts comprising anelongated flexible door, means on opposed edges of the front railsextending from the top of the cabinet to a point below the upper edge ofsaid front wall forming guide channels parallel to the front railsthroughout the length thereof in which said flexible door is slidablymounted, the upper end of the flexible dobr having a transversereinforcing strip disposed inwardly of the upper edge of the door tolimit upward closing movement of the door by engaging the transversedepending rail of the top part, the upper end of the door being disposedrearwardly of said depending rail when the door is in closed position,the lower end of the door extending freely through the lower ends of theguide channels into the bottom portion of the cabinet in moving the doordownwardly into open position, interenga'ging means on the depending toprail and the reinforcing strip of said door for supporting the door inclosed position, and the lower end of the door bein curled around andsecured to a free rod to maintain a normal curved end portion on saidend of the door facilitating free movement of the door across the bottomof the cabinet.

2. In a knockdown paper board cabinet of the character describedcomposed of a plurality of detachably coupled unit parts, said partswhen assembled forming a rectangular cabinet having a door opening inone wall thereof and guide channels on opposed sides of said opening, aflexible door member controlling said opening, said door membercomprising anelongated sheet of single faced corrugated board, atransverse reinforcing strip attached to the corrugated surface of thedoor member in spaced relation to direction of the smooth surface ofsaid corru-- gated sheet.

' HARRY DERMAN.

